Following Bezos' Money Trail: 17 Investments Worth Your Attention

Ever wondered where I’d put my cash if I had billions? Looking at Jeff Bezos’ investment choices offers a fascinating glimpse into what might be worth our attention. With a staggering $184.8 billion net worth, Bezos spreads his money across ventures that aren’t just profit-driven but often aim to solve major world problems.

Through Bezos Expeditions, his venture capital firm, he’s backed companies working on cancer cures, world hunger solutions, financial inclusion, and education technology. Since stepping down as Amazon CEO in 2021, he’s focused more on Blue Origin while still maintaining a 9.3% stake in Amazon after recently selling $2 billion worth of shares.

Let’s examine some of his most intriguing bets:

EverFi

Bezos poured $190 million into this educational technology company focused on financial literacy and STEM education. Cloud software company Blackbaud later acquired it for $750 million in 2022.

Basecamp

This project management software began as a web design firm whose founders built their own solution when they couldn’t find suitable software. Bezos purchased a minority stake back in 2006.

MakerBot

In 2011, Bezos joined investors putting $10 million into this pioneer of consumer-accessible 3D printing. Stratasys later acquired the company.

NextDoor

Bezos backed this neighborhood-focused social platform during its Series B funding. Now publicly traded under “KIND,” it’s valued at about $1 billion - significantly less than its initial $4.3 billion valuation.

Plenty

This agricultural tech company received $200 million from Bezos in 2017. Their vertical farms use just 1% of traditional agriculture’s water while yielding 350 times more crops. They’ve recently announced a $680 million joint venture in the Middle East.

Airbnb

Bezos invested $112 million in this accommodation marketplace before its IPO. Now trading at $114.64 per share with a $71.8 billion market cap, this bet has paid off handsomely.

Grail

Putting $100 million toward early cancer detection technology showed Bezos’ interest in healthcare innovation. Illumina later bought the company for $8 billion.

Juno Therapeutics

Bezos invested $190 million in this cancer immunotherapy company across two rounds before Celgene acquired it for $9 billion in 2018.

Mark43

This public safety software company received multiple investments from Bezos, including $27 million in Series B funding. They partner with Amazon Web Services for secure criminal justice information workloads.

AI Investments

Recently, Bezos has shifted focus toward artificial intelligence, investing $100 million in Figure AI’s $675 million round. The humanoid robot maker is valued at $2.6 billion. He’s also backed Perplexity AI, an alternative search engine using language models, through multiple funding rounds as its valuation approached $3 billion.

I find it telling that many of Bezos’ investments have been acquired by larger corporations - a pattern that suggests he’s skilled at identifying promising technologies before they hit mainstream awareness. While his track record isn’t perfect (Mindstrong Health eventually closed operations), his early bets on transformative technologies like AI suggest where smart money might be heading next.

The question remains: are we paying enough attention to the sectors where billionaires like Bezos are quietly placing their bets?